Of course, the higher the throughput of the process machine, the more savings are possible.

TOY COMPANY:

They have injection molding presses that have an average throughput of 50 to 100 pounds per hour. They justified 80 blenders for 2 reasons. Color usage and Scrap rate.

Previously regrind was added back into the process using proportional loaders. Layering in the hopper meant parts were molded with varying degrees of Regrind. Regrind does not process the same as Natural, and consequently, short shots were common.

With Maguire blenders, regrind was now metered into the blend at a uniform controlled rate. The rate of rejected parts dropped from 9 percent to 1 percent. That is the equivalent to expanding the factory by 8 percent or adding 7 additional injection molding presses. Compared to what that would have cost, the capital cost of the blenders was a bargain.

Color usage was also cut by about 20 percent, which, in itself, provided full payback in less then one year.

AUTOMOTIVE
COMPANY:

Here the color savings were more dramatic. The first blender they installed paid for itself in about 6 weeks. Control of color using volumetric feeders was very poor. With volumetric equipment, color was often being added at rates as high as 14 percent, instead of the specified four percent.

The savings enabled them to justify the capital investment of $750,000 in blenders plus an upgrade to their central conveying and drying systems worth 3 million dollars. We estimate that, on average, the blenders returned there cost every 3 to 4 months.

Briefly, the math for color savings at Your Company might look like this: